1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system and an image processing method, and in particular, to an image processing method which carries out image processing on image data inputted from an input device, and transfers the image processed data to an output device, and to an image processing system to which the image processing method can be applied.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional image processing systems have been known which are structured by an image input device, an image processing device, and an image output device which are connected in that order. The image input device (scanner) reads an image recorded on an image recording material such as a photographic film, and inputs the image data obtained by reading. The image processing device carries out image processing such as various types of correction and conversion and the like on the image data inputted from the image input device. On the basis of the image data which has been subjected to image processing at the image processing device, the image output device (printer) records an image onto an image recording material such as a photographic printing paper. In this type of image processing system, as compared with a conventional photographic processing system in which a film image recorded on a photographic film is recorded by surface exposure onto a photographic printing paper, the image quality of the output image can be freely controlled by the image processing of the image data, and the image processing at the image processing device can be optimized in accordance with the characteristics of the image input device and the characteristics of the image output device. (For example, in a case in which the color balance of the image expressed by the image data inputted from the image input device is skewed toward a specific color, an image processing for correcting this skewing of the color balance is carried out. As another example, in a case in which the sharpness in a specific direction of the image expressed by the inputted image data is low, an image processing for improving the sharpness in the specific direction is carried out.) Thus, a high-quality output image can be obtained.
However, in the above-described image processing system, if attempts are made to use an image input device or an image output device which are of different types than those that were envisaged for use when the image processing system was designed, the image processing at the image processing device does not consider characteristics of image input devices and image output devices of different types than those envisaged at the time of design. Thus, drawbacks occur such as the image quality of the output image greatly deteriorates. It is difficult to replace the image input device or the image output device of the image processing system with an image input device or an image output device having different characteristics, or to change the structure of the image processing system by additionally connecting an image input device or an image output device having different characteristics. Thus, there is the drawback that the expandability of the system is poor.
Japanese Patent No. 2660170 discloses an image processing system in which plural input devices and plural output devices are connected to a single image processing device. In this system, the image data input from the respective input devices are converted by the image processing device into respective image data of an intermediate image space called a hub. Thereafter, the image data of the intermediate image space are converted (subjected to image processing) in accordance with the type of output device which is being used, and are outputted. However, in this structure, the image processing device always has to carry out conversion twice on the image data inputted from the input devices. Thus, the load on the image processing device is great, and the processing capability of the image processing system is low. Further, when the image data is converted twice, due to effects such the quantization errors being accumulated, the deterioration in image quality become great enough to be detected by the naked eye.
In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system in which high-speed processing and high quality of output images can be realized.
In order to achieve the above object, an image processing system relating to a first aspect of the present invention includes at least one input device which inputs image data and at least one output device which, on the basis of transferred image data for output, carries out image output processing, and the image processing system comprises: storing means for temporarily storing image data; adding means for adding, to image data inputted from an input device, supplementary information including information relating to attributes of the image data; setting means for setting an output device which is to carry out image output processing on the image data; image processing means for carrying out image processing, which corresponds to the attributes of the image data and to the output device which is to carry out image output processing, on at least one of image data temporarily stored in the storing means and image data which is read from the storing means after the supplementary information has been added thereto and the image data has been temporarily stored in the storing means; and transfer means for transferring to the output device, as image data for output, the image data which, after having been temporarily stored in the storing means, was read and for which image processing by the image processing means has been completed.
The image processing system relating to the first aspect of the present invention includes at least one input device and at least one output device. The input device may be, for example, a scanner which reads images recorded on a photographic photosensitive material or some other image recording material and inputs the image data obtained by reading; a data reading device which reads and inputs image data stored on an information storage medium (a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a memory card, an IC card, or the like); a communications control device which receives and inputs image data which has been sent from another information processing equipment connected thereto by a communications line; or the like. The output device may be, for example, a printer which, as the image output processing, records an image onto an image recording material such as a photographic printing paper; a data writing device which, as the image output processing, writes image data onto an information storage medium; an image display device which, as the image output processing, displays an image on a display means such as a display; and a communications control device which, as the image output processing, sends image data to another information processing equipment connected thereto by a communications line.
The invention of the first aspect is provided with an adding means which adds, to the image data inputted from the input device, supplementary information including information relating to the attributes of the image data (i.e., the characteristics or properties of the image data). The information relating to the attributes of the image data may be information expressing the attributes of the image data (e.g., at least one of the color space of the image data, the resolution, the number of bits (the number of bits per pixel or the like), the number of channels, and the like). Or, because the attributes of the image data vary in accordance with the input device, the information relating to the attributes of the image data may be information expressing the type of the input device or the characteristics of the input device. Further, if the type of image processing to be carried out differs in accordance with the attributes of the image data, the information relating to the attributes of the image data may be information expressing the type of image processing to be carried out on the image data. Further, if the contents of the image processing to be carried out differ in accordance with the attributes of the image data, the information relating to the attributes of the image data may be information expressing the contents of the image processing to be carried out on the image data.
The image processing means carries out image processings, which correspond to the attributes of the image data or to the output device to carry out the image output processing (the output device set by the setting means) on at least one of image data which is temporarily stored in the storing means and image data which, after having had supplementary information added thereto and having been temporarily stored in the storing means, is read from the storing means. If the image processing, which is carried out by the image processing means and corresponds to the attributes of the image data and to the output device which is to carry out image output processing, is carried out after the supplementary information is added to the image data, the image processing can be carried out on the basis of the supplementary information added to the image data, as in the second aspect of the present invention. Further, if the image processing means carries out image processing before the supplementary information is added to the image data, the attributes of the image data may be recognized on the basis of information relating to the attributes of the image data, e.g., on the basis of the type of the input device which is the image data input source, and the image processing may be carried out on the basis of the recognized attributes. Or, in a case in which information relating to the attributes of the image data is transferred from the input device, image processing may be carried out on the basis of the transferred information.
The transfer means transfers to the output device, as image data for output, the image data which, after having been temporarily stored in the storing means, was read and for which image processing by the image processing means has been completed. In this way, the image output processing is carried out at the output device on the basis of the transferred image data for output.
In this way, in the first aspect of the present invention, image data for output can be obtained by carrying out image processing, which corresponds to the attributes of the image data and to the output device which is to carry out image output processing, without the inputted image data being converted to image data of an intermediate image space (i.e., image data for output can be obtained by a single image conversion). Thus, the load on the image processing means is not excessive, and the processing speed can be made fast (the processing amount per unit time can be increased), and the image quality of the output image is high.
The image processing carried out by the image processing means is image processing which corresponds to the attributes of the image data and to the output device which is to carry out the image output processing. Thus, even if the image processing system of the present invention includes plural input devices, the image data inputted from the respective input devices can be subjected to optimal image processing in accordance with the attributes of the respective image data which vary in accordance with the characteristics of the respective input devices, on the basis of the added supplementary information, or on the basis of the type of the input device which is the input source of the image data, or on the basis of transferred information in the case in which information relating to the attributes of the image data is transferred from the input device, or the like. Further, even if the image processing system of the present invention includes plural output devices, optimal image processings corresponding to the characteristics of the respective output devices can be carried out on the image data used in the image output processings at the respectively different output devices. In this way, even if the image processing system relating to the present invention is structured so as to include arbitrary input devices and arbitrary output devices, the system has high expandability without there being a deterioration in the image quality of the output image.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, the attributes of the respective image data can be determined by referring to the supplementary information added to the respective image data. Therefore, even if the image processing system of the present invention includes plural input devices, by referring to the supplementary information, the image data inputted from the respective input devices can be easily differentiated from one another, and data management can be carried out easily.
In the present invention, the image processing which is to be carried out on the image data (the image processing corresponding to the attributes of the image data and to the output device which is to carry out the image output processing) may be a single type of image processing, but usually, the image processing to be carried out is plural types of image processings. In this case, in consideration of dispersing the load to be applied to the image processing means, for example, a structure can be used in which the image processing means carries out plural image processings non-simultaneously, or a structure can be used in which plural image processing means are provided and the plural image processings are divided up amongst and carried out by the plural image processing means, or a structure can be used in which the output device is provided with an image processing means for carrying out some of the image processings among the plural image processings. In this way, if there are plural image processings to be carried out on the image data and the image processing means carries out the plural image processings non-simultaneously (i.e., staggered over time), or if the plural image processings are divided amongst and carried out by plural image processing means, there is the need to manage the execution of the respective image processings such that the respective image processings to be carried out are all carried out by at least before the image output processing is carried out.
Therefore, in a case such as that described above, it is preferable that, in a case in which the image processing means carries out a predetermined image processing on the image data, the adding means adds, to the supplementary information of the image data, information expressing that the predetermined image processing has been carried out by the image processing means, as in the third aspect. In this way, by referring to the supplementary information, it can be recognized which of the image processings, among the plural image processings to be carried out on the image data, have been carried out. Namely, in a case in which it is determined on the basis of the supplementary information (which expresses that image processing(s) has/have been carried out) that there are plural image processings which are yet to be carried out, the plural image processings may be carried out divided amongst plural image processing means, or the image processing means may carry out plural image processings non-simultaneously. In this way, the execution of the image processing can be easily managed.
In the present invention, the image processing means may carry out image processing on the image data at a time before the image data to which the supplementary information has been added is temporarily stored the storing means, or at a time after the image data to which the supplementary information has been added has been read from the storing means after having been temporarily stored in the storing means. If there are plural image processings to be carried out, the plural image processings may be divided up such that some image processings are carried out at one of the above times whereas others are carried out at the other time. Further, for image data which is inputted from a first input device which is to operate at a high speed and a high operation rate, as in the fourth aspect, it is preferable that after the supplementary information has been added to the image data and the image data has been temporarily stored in the storing means, the image data is read from the storing means and image processing is carried out.
In the sequence of the transfer of data including the image data, the data transfer source usually holds the transfer data and is in a state of standby from the time the data transfer source transfers the data until the time the data transfer source is notified from the data transfer location of receipt of the data. In the fourth aspect of the present invention, until the image data, which is inputted from a first input device which is to operate at a high speed and a high rate of operation, has supplementary information added thereto and is temporarily stored in the storing means, image processing which generally requires time is not carried out. The image processing is carried out after the image data has been read from the storing means. Thus, the receipt of the image data inputted from the input device (the data transfer source) (i.e., the temporary storing of the image data in the input means) can be completed in a short time. Accordingly, image data can be received from the input device without leading to a decrease in the processing speed or the rate of operation of the input device.
In a case in which there are plural image processings to be carried out, instead of carrying out image processing only after the image data has been read from the storing means, among the plural image processings which are to be carried out, those image processings which are completed in a relatively short time or those image processings which result in a small load on the image processing means may be carried out before the temporary storing of the image data in the storing means, and the other image processings may be carried out after the image data has been read from the storing means. In this case, when the image data is received from the input device, the decrease in the processing speed and the operation rate of the input device can be kept to a minimum.
For image data, for which a first output device which is to operate at a high speed or a high operation rate is set as the output device for carrying out image output processing, it is preferable that the image processing means carries out image processing before the image data is temporarily stored in the storing means, as in the fifth aspect. In this way, image data, for which a first output device (which is to operate at high speed and a high rate of operation) is set as the output device for carrying out image output processing, is stored in the storing means in a state in which the image processings thereon have been completed. Thus, the processing time of the image processing is not added to the time required to transfer the image data to the output device. Accordingly, image data can be transferred to the output device without leading to a decrease in the processing speed or the rate of operation of the output device.
In a case in which there are plural image processings to be carried out, instead of the image processings being carried out only before the image data is temporarily stored in the storing means, among the plural image processings which are to be carried out, those image processings which are completed in a relatively short time or those image processings which result in a small load on the image processing means may be carried out after the image data is read from the storing means, and the other image processings may be carried out before the image data is temporarily stored in the storing means. In this case, when the image data is transferred to the output device, the decrease in the processing speed and the operation rate of the output device can be kept to a minimum.
There are existing image processing systems structured such that the following devices are connected in order: a scanner which reads an image which is recorded on an image recording material such as a photographic film and inputs the image data; an image processing device which carries out various types of image processings on the image data inputted from the scanner; and a printer which, on the basis of the image data on which image processing has been carried out at the image processing device, records images onto an image recording material such as a photographic printing paper. In such an image processing system, when it is desired to use the image data inputted from the scanner in an image output processing at an output device other than the printer, or when there is a request to, for example, record an image onto an image recording material by the printer by using image data inputted from an input device other than the scanner, such requests can be satisfied by using the above-described existing image processing system as a base, and adding thereto the storing means, adding means, image processing means, and transfer means of the present invention, and by connecting input devices other than the scanner and output devices other than the printer, so as to form the image processing system of the present invention.
In the above-described aspects, it is anticipated that high-speed processing of a large amount of image (a large amount of image data) will be demanded of the route of the existing image processing system (i.e., the xe2x80x9cscannerxe2x86x92image processing devicexe2x86x92printerxe2x80x9d route) as compared with routes including other input devices and other output devices. Therefore, when the image processing system relating to the present invention is formed by using as the base thereof an existing image processing system such as that described above, if the scanner is the xe2x80x9cfirst input device which is to operate at high speed and a high operation ratexe2x80x9d of the fourth aspect and the printer is the xe2x80x9cfirst output device which is to operate at a high speed or a high operation ratexe2x80x9d of the fifth aspect, the above-described requests can be satisfied without leading to a great decrease in the processing speed and the operation rate of the scanner and the printer, i.e., without leading to a great decrease in the processing capability of the existing image processing system.
If the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention are applied to all of the input devices and all of the output devices forming the image processing system relating to the present invention, all of the input devices and all of the output devices can be operated at high speed and a high operation rate. However, if this is the case, there is the possibility that the structure will become complex, such as there will be the need to provide a storing means having a very large storage capacity, or the like.
Thus, in the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, for image data which is inputted from a second input device of which high-speed or high-operation-rate operation is not required, the image data is subjected to image processing before being temporarily stored in the storing means. In this way, although it takes time for the image data inputted from the second input device to be received and there is the possibility that the processing speed or the operation rate of the second input device will decrease, there is no need for a storage region for temporarily storing, before image processing, the image data inputted from the second input device. Thus, the structure of the image processing system can be prevented from becoming complex.
When image processing is carried out on the image data inputted from the second input device before the image data is temporarily stored in the storing means, it is ascertained which of the input devices the image data input source device (the second input device) is, and the determination of the attributes of the image data is easy. Thus, image processing may be carried out before the adding means adds the supplementary information to the image data, or may be carried out after the adding means adds the supplementary information to the image data.
In the seventh aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, for image data for which a second output device, of which high-speed or high-operation-rate processing is not required, is set as an output device for carrying out image output processing, after the image data has supplementary information added thereto and is temporarily stored in the storing means, the image processing means reads the image data from the storing means, and carries out image processing, and has the image data transferred by the transfer means. In this way, in the same way as in the sixth aspect, although it takes time to transfer the image data to the second output device and there is the possibility that the processing speed or the operation rate of the second output device will decrease, there is no need for a storage region for temporarily storing, after image processing, the image data to be transferred to the second output device. Thus, the structure of the image processing system can be prevented from becoming complex.
A second invention is an image processing method for an image processing system including at least one input device which inputs image data and at least one output device which, on the basis of transferred image data for output, carries out image output processing, the image processing method comprising the steps of: adding, to image data inputted from an input device, supplementary information including information relating to attributes of the image data; carrying out image processing, which corresponds to the attributes of the image data or to an output device which is set as an output device which is to carry out image output processing, on at least one of image data, which is temporarily stored in a storing means for temporarily storing image data, and image data, which, after having had supplementary information added thereto and having been temporarily stored in the storing means, is read from the storing means; and transferring to the output device, as image data for output, image data which, after having been temporarily stored in the storing means, has been read and for which image processing has been completed. In the same way as in the first aspect, the processing speed of the image processing system can be made fast and the image quality of the output image is high.